Bargoed
Encyclopedia
Bargoed is a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in the Rhymney Valley
Rhymney Valley
The Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

, one of the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...

. It lies on the Rhymney River
Rhymney River
The Rhymney River is a river in the Rhymney Valley, south-east Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn estuary.The river forms the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.-Path of the river:...

 in the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...

 of Caerphilly
Caerphilly (county borough)
Caerphilly is a county borough in southern Wales, straddling the ancient county boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.Its main town is Caerphilly, and also the largest...

 and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

 and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...

. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council, consists of the towns of Bargoed, Aberbargoed
Aberbargoed
Aberbargoed is a small town in the Welsh county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, south Wales. Aberbargoed once contained the largest ever colliery waste tip in Europe, although this has now been reclaimed and turned into a country park.- Mining :Coal mining...

 and the village of Gilfach
Gilfach
Gilfach is the small district that lies between Bargoed and Pengam, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, seven miles north of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales....

. The combined population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of these settlements is approximately 13,000.

Toponomy

The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 meaning of the town's Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

 name, Bargod, is border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...

. Pronunciation
Pronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the way a word or a language is spoken, or the manner in which someone utters a word. If one is said to have "correct pronunciation", then it refers to both within a particular dialect....

 of the town's name varies depending on street. There are many variations, from the standard Welsh Barr-god and English Baa-goid to the informal Baa-Gud and Baa-Go-Ed.

The town is currently undergoing redevelopment, with a bypass recently constructed, running through the valley, with links to Bargoed town centre, Aberbargoed and Gilfach. Also, Morrisons the supermarket chain have signed a deal to open a supermarket in the town bringing 300 jobs to the town.

The council have also agreed to allow proposals for a multi-plex cinema to be developed on the new retail area.

History

Originally a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

, Bargoed grew into a substantial town following the opening of a colliery in 1903. The colliery, which was the subject of a painting by L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...

, closed during the 1980s, and its former site is now a country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...

.

Re-development

Today, the town centre is undergoing a huge refurbishment, although a few shops in the centre of Bargoed are still closed down and boarded up. A comprehensive programme of improvements, focused on the town's bypass road
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....

, was begun in 2000.

Education

Bargoed Grammar Technical School existed as the local grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...

 before Heolddu Comprehensive School
Heolddu Comprehensive School
Heolddu Comprehensive School is a school located in the town of Bargoed, South Wales, and serves the town of Bargoed as well as the villages of Deri, Aberbargoed and Brithdir in the Caerphilly LEA. Currently there are over 770 pupils on roll, including over 80 pupils in a vibrant 6th form, with 47...

 was formed. Some of the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...

's buildings in Park Crescent were used during from the 1980s until 2002 for the valley's first Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

 comprehensive school, Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni is a Welsh-medium school situated in the village of Fleur-de-Lys in the Rhymney Valley. Cwm Rhymni was founded in 1981 with little more than 100 pupils and as of 2007 this number has grown to over 1,000....

, which has now moved to a new purpose-built site in Fleur-de-Lys. Primary Schools include St Gwladys Bargoed School
St Gwladys Bargoed School
St Gwladys Bargoed School is a Primary School In Bargoed, Wales.It was formed in 2005 with the amalgamation of St Gwladys Junior and St Gwladys Infant Schools. The school has a host of awards including Investors in People, Investors in Families, the Becta Award and the Basic Skills award -Further...

, Park Primary School, Aberbargoed Primary School and Gilfach Fargoed Primary School.

Notable people

See :Category:People from Bargoed

  • Actress Doris Hare
    Doris Hare
    Doris Hare MBE was a Welsh actress, best known for her appearances as "Mum" in the popular sitcom On the Buses alongside Reg Varney and Stephen Lewis....

     (1905–2000) was born in Bargoed
  • Bargoed is regularly namechecked during televised snooker
    Snooker
    Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

     tournaments as Mark Williams
    Mark Williams (snooker player)
    Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...

    , Embassy World Snooker Champion
    World Snooker Championship
    The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...

     in 2000 and 2003, practises his sport at the town's Emporium Snooker
    Snooker
    Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

     Hall.
  • Welsh singer-songwriter
    Singer-songwriter
    Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

     and British
    Great Britain
    Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

     Eurovision contestant James Fox
    James Fox (singer)
    James Fox, real name . is a pop music singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist. He represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul...

     grew up in Gilfach.
  • Ivor Powell
    Ivor Powell
    Ivor Verdun Powell MBE is a Welsh former footballer who gained eight Welsh caps and later became a manager. He was born in Gilfach, Bargoed....

    , the world's oldest and still active football coach, was born in Gilfach-Bargoed on July 5, 1916.
  • David Probert, Champion apprentice jockey

External links

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